1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processing apparatus and signal processing method, program, and a recording medium, and more specifically, relates to a signal processing apparatus and signal processing method, program, and a recording medium which enable the function of electronic equipment to be upgraded easily, and enable flexible signal processing by performing communication according to a new arrangement.
2. Description of the Related Art
Audio and video equipment, such as television receivers or disk devices, communication equipment such as phones or facsimile apparatuses, and further, computers and other equipment, often include circuit boards on which various semiconductor chips are mounted within the housing thereof, and the functions thereof as electronic equipment are provided by performing various processing in the semiconductor chips on the circuit boards.
Wiring for electrically connecting semiconductor chips is provided on the circuit boards, and the semiconductor chips exchange various signals via the wiring. In recent years, in accordance with increased performance and integration of semiconductor chips, wiring for connecting such semiconductor chips has become complex, so that circuit boards for performing wiring do not have enough space. Consequently, with circuit boards called multi-layer boards, wiring has been provided on multiple layers so as to connect semiconductor chips.
However, in the days ahead, it is anticipated that the performance and integration of semiconductor chips will become more advanced, and wiring become even more complex.
Accordingly, techniques wherein semiconductor chips exchange (send and receive) signals with wireless communication are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-285181 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-060130. More specifically, techniques wherein specific semiconductor chips exchange (send and receive) signals by assigning certain frequency band or coding to multiple semiconductor chips respectively, and performing frequency division multiplex communication with the assigned frequency band or coding division multiplex communication with the assigned coding, are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-285181 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-060130.
Also, technique wherein specific semiconductor chips exchange signals by performing coding division multiplex communication with a cable and the assigned coding, is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-187538.
With the techniques disclosed in these Publications, one-on-one communication is performed by specifying a communication party. Accordingly, for example, in the event that a certain semiconductor chip sends a command or signal to be subjected to signal processing to multiple semiconductor chips, the certain semiconductor chip must send the same signal many times corresponding to the number of the multiple semiconductor chips. In this case, it takes a great deal of time to exchange signals, and this might restrict available signal processing. Thus, restrictions in available signal processing result in restricting function upgrades of electronic equipment.
On the other hand, an arrangement wherein replacing or addition of a semiconductor chip could enable the function upgrades of electronic equipment would be convenient.